Rapid growth and competition in the Middle East hospitality sector require robust data tools to increase productivity and better understand buyer behavior
ARLINGTON, Va. — Dec. 20, 2023 — Today, Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, announced its expansion in the Middle East with data collection in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to accommodate the growing demand and fierce competition facing new hoteliers in the market.
Regional meetings and events growth continues in the triple digits, with a 167 percent increase over the same period last year. Not new to the market, Knowland has been collecting MICE data in the UAE since 2009, establishing a mission-critical threshold of regional insight, and is replicating those efforts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), starting with the Riyadh market.
• Extraordinary growth and expanding market –There has been a major focus on the tourism and hospitality sector, with many exciting plans being funded and developed across the country since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, a unified program to increase diversification economically, socially, and culturally for the country. Education is taking center stage in delivering the projects, and Knowland will support the industry by providing intelligence and helping the future hospitality leaders of the KSA with local, regional, and global business insights.
• Competitiveness is a key driver for data insight adoption –The amount of competition in the region will continue to soar, making data-driven tools such as Knowland a key component to the success of sales teams when targeting meetings and events. Innovative hospitality operations that embrace data-informed selling will be most effective in growing revenue. Since 2016, the KSA has awarded construction contracts with a total value of $250bn and has launched approx. $1.25 trillion of real estate and infrastructure projects, establishing a strong opportunity for the proliferation of hospitality and, with it, the MICE segment.
• Training hotel teams is vital in an expanding market – Knowland is committed to ensuring hotel teams can take advantage of the data insight by continuous education and consultation with our partners. By leveraging the nuances of a market and account intelligence solution, commercial teams are better equipped to compete. With dedicated support and account management teams that understand the industry, Knowland ensures commercial teams in the region are adopting and leveraging data to identify opportunities and capture high-growth market share.
Jeff Bzdawka, CEO, Knowland, states: “The world’s largest active pipeline of new hotels is in the Middle East, so it was only natural that we continue to build on that exciting growth. We look forward to serving hoteliers in the region with a focus on exceptional customer service and support. We will continue to expand our reach throughout this increasingly popular region and ensure hoteliers and their commercial teams have the data they need to stay ahead of the competition.”
Knowland offers a wealth of data and features designed to streamline and enhance the event sales process. Users can access an extensive database of group sales intelligence, helping them identify potential leads, understand market trends, and make informed decisions. The comprehensive platform provides detailed insights into group activities, allowing users to target, engage and win specific accounts effectively.
